Querrey provides U.S. an up-and-coming hope

Sunday

Aug 31, 2008 at 12:01 AMAug 31, 2008 at 11:26 AM

NEW YORK -- Sam Querrey hop-skipped and pumped his fist after he smacked a cross-court forehand winner that completely deflated his imposing No. 14-ranked opponent, Ivo Karlovic, and gave Querrey the break to serve for the upset yesterday in the U.S. Open.

NEW YORK -- Sam Querrey hop-skipped and pumped his fist after he smacked a cross-court forehand winner that completely deflated his imposing No. 14-ranked opponent, Ivo Karlovic, and gave Querrey the break to serve for the upset yesterday in the U.S. Open.

As he headed for the changeover in Armstrong Stadium, the 20-year-old Querrey broke into a wide grin, surging with the type of refreshing energy U.S. tennis could use.

Talk on the men's tour always seems to swirl around whether Andy Roddick and James Blake can ever consistently capitalize on their top-10 status and upend the world's best in a Grand Slam. (It's still not Blake's time -- the ninth-seed lost to Mardy Fish 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (4) last night.)

On the women's side, no new American is emerging, although the Williams sisters are upholding the mantle quite well, playing at their best this summer. Venus Williams, the reigning Wimbledon champion, trounced her third-round opponent, Alona Bondarenko, 6-2, 6-1.

Querrey, meanwhile, was in the background next door, although at 6 feet 6 creating a striking shadow. But he had his breakthrough moment, matching and then solving the equally hard-serving 6-10 Karlovic, of Croatia, 7-6, (5), 7-6 (5), 6-2 to advance to the round of 16 for the first time in his career.

For the moment, Querrey, who calls himself a Blake and Roddick fan, did not want to think of his date with world No. 1 Rafael Nadal -- a 6-4, 6-3, 6-0 winner over Viktor Troicki -- in the next round.

"It feels good," he said. "My first fourth round of a major. If I could pick one to win, it would be this one. I had a blast out there with the crowd behind me."

Karlovic, who slammed his racket to the court in frustration early in the third set, could not contend with Querrey's weapons, which are very similar to his own.

"He was serving really well," said Karlovic, who had 24 aces to 20 for Querrey. But Karlovic also had five double faults, including one when he was serving at 4-5 in the second-set tiebreak.

"He is still young and plays very well; he improves every year," Karlovic said.

But would he have a chance against Nadal?

"Yeah, if he serves like he did today, of course," Karlovic said.

Querrey, turned pro in 2006, won his first title, in Las Vegas in March. He reached the semifinals in Indianapolis this summer and earned a trip to the Beijing Games with the U.S. team. But he lost in the first round there, giving him plenty of time to regroup for this tournament.

In the opening round of the Open, Querrey, the 55th-seeded player, upset No. 22 Tomas Berdych in straight sets.

"My real goal is to end the year in the top 32," he said.

Julie Coin's magical run at the Open ended. On Thursday the Frenchwoman, ranked No. 188, stunned top-seeded Ana Ivanovic. It was the first time since the WTA computer rankings started in 1975 that a woman ranked so low beat a reigning world No. 1.

Coin lost yesterday 6-4, 6-4 in the third round to countrywoman Amelie Mauresmo, the No. 32 seed.

In an upset on the men's side, Kei Nishikori, ranked 126th, beat fourth-seeded David Ferrer 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, becoming the first Japanese man to reach the U.S. Open's fourth round in the 40-year Open era.

Nishikori, 18, also is the youngest man to get this far at the U.S. Open since Marat Safin in 1998.